Thursday, 9 April 2015

Antiope

Antiope1 In Greek mythology, Antiope was described as an Amazon, daughter of Ares. According to some versions, during Hercules' ninth labor, which was to obtain the Girdle of Hippolyte, when he captured the Amazons' capital of Themiscyra, his companion Theseus, king of Athens, abducted Antiope and brought her to his home. Or she was captured by Hercules and then given by him to Theseus. (see 12 labors of Hercules)

Amazon..............Antiope......

Antiope fell in love with Theseus and betrayed the Amazons of her own free will. They were eventually married and she gave birth to a son, Hippolytus, who was named after Antiope's sister. Soon after, the Amazons attacked Athens in an attempt to rescue Antiope and to take back Hippolyte's girdle. In the battle, known as the Attic War, Antiope was accidentally shot dead by an Amazonnamed Molpadia2, who, in her turn, was then killed by Theseus.Tombs of both Antiope and Molpadia2 were in Athens.

In other version, the cause for the Amazons' attack on Athens was the fact that Theseus had abandoned Antiope and planned to marry Phaedra. Antiope was furious about this and decided to attack them on their wedding day. She promised to kill every person in attendance. Antiope was killed by Theseus himself. According to other version, it was not of Antiope, but of Hippolyte, who was abducted and married by Theseus. Antiope2 In the Greek mythology, Antiope was described as the princess of Boeotian city of Thebe and the daughter of Nycteus, prince of Thebes and Polyxo. In Some versions, river god Asopus was described as Antiope real father.

Antiope and Zeus in guise of a satyr

Antiope and Zeus in the guise of a satyr

Antiope stunning beauty attracted Zeus, the king of gods. Zeus forcefully had sex with Antiope in the guise of a satyr on Mt Cithairon. When Antiope was with child, and her father threatened her, she ran away to Sikyon and marry Epopeus, the king of Sikyon. Nycteus killed himself in despair, but charged his brother Lycus to avenge him on Epopeus and Antiope. Lycus accordingly marched againt Sicyon, took the town, slew Epopeus, and carried Antiope with him to Eleutherae in Boeotia. During her imprisonment there she gave birth to two sons, Amphion and Zethus, who were exposed, but found and brought up by shepherds.

Hermes, god of music, gave Amphion a lyre, who practiced song and music, while his brother spent his time in hunting and tending the flocks. Antiope, who had in the meantime been very ill-treated by Lycus and his wife, Dirce, escaped from her prison, her chains having miraculously been loosened. Antiope found shelter, unknowingly, in the house where her two sons were living as shepherds. Antiope sons, recognize their mother, went to Thebes, to avenge their mother.

Dirce, Amphion and Zethus

Amphion and Zethus captured Dirce on Mt Cithairon as she was celebrating the revels of Dionysus and tied her to a bull to be torn apart. They then slew King Lycus and seized the throne of Thebes. Dionysus, god of wine, was offended by the death of his devotee (Dirce), and drove Antiope into a state of madness. In this condition Antiope wandered about through Greece, until Phocus, the grandson of Sisyphus, cured and married her. She was buried with Phocus in one common tomb.Index